This invention relates to air purifiers and, more particularly, to an automatically operable air purifier for operation within the interior of a vehicle.
Passive smoking is the inhalation by nonsmokers of tobacco smoke of smokers. Credible scientific evidence has indicated that such smoking is dangerous to the health of nonsmokers. Further, recent research has indicated that a person's risk of developing cancer is higher if such person shares a living space with smokers. Societal pressures have, because of these hazards, developed against public smoking and against exposure of nonsmokers to tobacco smoke in the air. Research has also indicated that smoke inhaled through the air may have more of certain carcinogenic substances than what smokers inhale directly. A confined space which often exposes nonsmokers to forced passive smoking at high smoke levels is the interior of a vehicle. Thus, vehicular passengers are particularly at risk. For these reasons, it would be desirable to avoid smoking within a vehicle. Yet, it is impractical if not impossible, to prevent smoking within vehicles. Filtration of the air within a vehicle to remove smoke from the air appears to be a practical alternative and provides a method for protecting nonsmoking vehicular passengers.
It has been proposed heretofore to provide air filtering or purification within a vehicle. For example, Gilbertson U.S. Pat. No. 3,722,182 discloses an air purifying and deodorizing device for an automobile, including a filter and an electrostatic precipitator. An electronic air cleaner for vehicular use, also having an electrostatic precipitator as well as an ultraviolet sterilizing lamp is disclosed in Suzuki et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,245,550. The apparatus disclosed in these patents is not well suited for being easily or quickly mounted at various locations within the vehicle, the device of U.S. Pat. No. 3,722,182 being required, for example, to be built into the structure of the car for placement of its components below a rear window deck, or front window deck or dashboard. A more serious shortcoming of such prior art constructions is that they do not respond automatically to the presence of smoke in the air. Their operation is operator dependent so that, unless operation were continuous, which is not desirable, a nonsmoker would have to voice a complaint to the driver or otherwise rely upon the driver being alert to the presence of smoke within the vehicle interior in order to be assured of operation. The risks, however, of smoke in the air to nonsmokers are great enough that one should not rely upon manual operation of a filter unit. Instead, its operation should be automatic.
Accordingly, among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision of apparatus for purifying the air of a vehicle interior; which apparatus is self-contained, is extremely compact; which is efficient in operation; and which may be mounted or located at various possible places within a vehicle, including the ceiling of the vehicle, as well as being mountable to location upon a rear window shelf, a dashboard, or capable of being built-in within the vehicle.
A further object of the invention is the provision of such apparatus which is entirely automatic in operation, with operation commencing upon the detected presence of smoke within the vehicle interior and continuing for a predetermined interval after smoke is no longer detected, thereby to ensure that the air is free of smoke.
It is also an object of the invention to provide such air purification apparatus which protects the life and health of vehicle occupants by effectively and quickly eliminating smoke from the air and trapping it safely within a filter; and it is an object of the invention to provide such an air purifier which will clean and deodorize the air within the vehicle and so eliminates airborne dust and other contaminants.
Briefly, apparatus for air purification of the invention, as utilized for removing smoke from a confined space such as the interior of a vehicle, includes a housing for being located within the space at a location for removing smoke from the air, and a filter within the housing adapted for filtering of smoke. The housing also includes a fan for drawing air through the housing for smoke filtration by the filter, and an electric motor for driving the fan, as by being powered by the electrical system of the vehicle. Also positioned within the housing is circuitry, including a smoke detector, for causing operation of the motor upon detection of smoke in the air.
Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinbelow.